"Camp Perry may well be the single most revered place in the hearts and minds of competitive shooters," said new NRA President John Sigler, a lifelong competitor himself. "Since 1907, some of the most elite marksmen that America has ever produced have competed there, alongside club shooters who consider the NRA National Championships a vital part of their lives. The combination of shooting skills, fellowship, exchange of ideas and sheer enjoyment make Camp Perry a special place indeed.

"Since our founding in 1871," Sigler continued, "competition has been regarded as an essential means of advancing marksmanship skills, and there is no finer showcase of marksmen than the NRA National Championships at Camp Perry. On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the base, I want to congratulate everyone who has ever competed there. NRA takes enormous pride in having conducted the National Championships in this historic venue for the last century."

The term National Matches describes the National Rifle and Pistol Championships conducted by NRA and the National Trophy Matches conducted by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). Participants will range in experience from first-time competitive shooters to Olympic champions, and will include civilians, military personnel, and law enforcement officers. The NRA National Championships are open to all persons who are members of the NRA.

The event is also an economic boon to the local area, contributing more than $10 million annually, according to Tom Brown, mayor of nearby Port Clinton.

Special centennial ceremonies, activities, and displays will be evident at this year's competitions. The NRA's National Firearms Museum, based at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, will display a large collection of Camp Perry memorabilia from its collection, including, rifles, pistols, clothing, medals, and accessories. Large banners will also be displayed around the camp to identify significant historical milestones.

The National Matches begin each year in early July with the NRA National Junior Pistol Camp, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) Small Arms Firing Schools, and the NRA National Pistol Championships, and conclude in August with the NRA National High Power Rifle Championship and the NRA Long Range Championship.

Some of the major events and dates for the 2007 National Matches are:

• Small Arms Firing School (Pistol) on July 8-10;
• NRA National Junior Pistol Camp on July 9-13;
• NRA Pistol Coach School on July 9-11 (evenings only);
• NRA National Pistol Championships on July 10-14;
• National Trophy Pistol Matches on July 15;
• Smallbore (.22 caliber) Rifle Three-Position Matches on July 18-21;
• Smallbore (.22 caliber) Rifle Prone Matches on July 22-26;
• NRA Junior Smallbore (.22 caliber) Rifle Camp on July 22-27;
• Small Arms Firing School (High Power Rifle) on July 27-29;
• NEW NRA/Springfield M1A Match on August 5;
• NRA National High Power Rifle Championships on August 6-10;
• NRA Long Range Championships on August 11-14.

The complete 2007 National Matches Program may be downloaded at www.nrahq.org/compete/cp-downloads.asp.

In the competitive shooters' ongoing quest for improved accuracy and efficiency, equipment standards and scores at Camp Perry have been constantly challenged and pushed to new heights. Much of today's equipment reflects major improvements that occurred over the past century. For example, many of the rifles used today, in those categories that do not require the use of unmodified military service rifles, have undergone numerous modifications and innovations such as red dot and holographic sights, fluted barrels, bloop tubes, cryogenically-treated barrels, fiberglass stocks, special triggers, etc. Shooting jackets and other clothing have also undergone many design and material changes, while many accessories, such as spotting scopes, have been improved tremendously. In addition, ammunition has vastly improved over the years, and today's shooters can count on using reliable cartridges capable of outstanding accuracy.

The National Matches were first fired in 1903 at New Jersey's Sea Girt Range, a 148-acre range located on the Atlantic Ocean approximately 60 miles south of New York City. New shooting facilities were subsequently created at Camp Perry, and the National Matches were moved to this new location in August of 1907.

Camp Perry Military Reservation is a 640-acre military training center located on the shores of Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio, and lies approximately 80 miles west of Cleveland. It has one of the largest and best-equipped outdoor rifle and pistol ranges in the United States.

Camp Perry was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry of War of 1812 fame. During the war, Commodore Perry won control of Lake Erie by defeating and capturing a British squadron of ships on September 10, 1813. His report of this battle included the now-famous statement, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

In 1905, Brigadier General Ammon B. Critchfield of the Ohio National Guard (and later a president of the National Rifle Association) was anxious to develop an outstanding marksmanship training facility. General Critchfield found what he considered to be a perfect location along the southwestern shore of Lake Erie after personally walking along the lake to discover an appropriate site.

The area General Critchfield selected was primarily a level plain approximately one mile long and one mile deep. The property was level and only lightly-wooded, therefore requiring almost no grading or clearing. Critchfield established a first-class marksmanship training facility in this new location, and subsequently became known as the "Father of Camp Perry."

Throughout the years, in addition to hosting the National Matches, Camp Perry has provided the nation with military personnel who have engaged in numerous armed conflicts around the world. Thousands of personnel from all branches of the military service have been trained there. Many of these personnel have been honored at Camp Perry, and visitors will be able to learn about their achievements.

Four of the firing ranges at Camp Perry have been named after World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor: Private First Class Frank J. Petrarca, Technical Sergeant Cleto Rodriguez, Private Roger W. Young, and Second Lieutenant Robert M. Viale. Granite markers with bronze plaques mark each of these ranges. Headquarters Building 1 was dedicated to another World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor: John N. Reese, Jr. The Arcade building was dedicated to World War I Medal of Honor recipient Albert E. Baesel. In addition, the Arcade building houses the Bataan Armory, which was dedicated to the men of Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion, Ohio National Guard, who were taken prisoner during World War II on the Bataan Peninsula and subjected to the infamous Bataan Death March.

World War II also left its mark on Camp Perry in a different manner -- the prisoner-of-war huts erected to house German and Italian prisoners. The concrete-floored huts were constructed of wood and tarpaper, and measured 14 x 14 feet. Heating was provided via a small coal-burning stove. Each hut housed four to five men, and thousands of POWs were interred in the prison camp. More than 500 huts were built during World War II. After the war, these same huts were used to house generations of competitive shooters, with many of the huts still in active use each year.

Today, Camp Perry provides training facilities not only for the Ohio National Guard, but also for other military units, federal agencies and state governments (including law enforcement agencies), private security businesses, and civilian organizations.

For more information on the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships, visit www.nrahq.org/compete/nm_campperry.asp.